If you are on lunch break, you are typically not supposed to be doing anything related to work. In fact, it is illegal for the company to have you working on your lunch in many places.

What would you do if you were on your lunch break and at the self-checkout to buy some items when a customer rudely demanded that you help her?

That is what happened to the retail worker in this story, so she politely explained that she was on break, but the customer decided to make a scene.

Check it out.

“If you’re in the building, you’re working.”

So, I used to work at a very big very high profile retail store. I have a few good stories from my two years there, but this is the biggest one I love to share.

I was a cashier, and most often was supervising the self check.

My town isn’t huge, so most of the customers would at least recognize me.

Many places have strict laws on lunch breaks.

If you worked a certain amount of time, you were required to take an hour lunch break.

When we had our lunch break, we fully clocked out, and had no access to anything in the system. We were also told that we were expressly not allowed to do any work tasks or help any customers while on our break.

If we did the store could get in huge trouble, and we ourselves could even get fired.

I did different things on my break, but this particular day I had decided to buy a few things for lunch in the store, and then head home to hang out with my mom while I ate, since I lived really close.

This seems pretty normal so far.

I happily procured my miscellaneous goodies, including a treat for my mom, and happily stood in the line at the self check, waiting for a register.

I had my work vest with me, but it was off and slung over my shoulder.

When I was next in line and a register opened, this lady shoved past me, literally knocking a precious pack of beef jerky out of my hands, and beelined over to the open register.

I was annoyed, but I didn’t want to waste my lunch break and she wasn’t worth a confrontation.

So, I just quietly picked up my jerky, and made my way over to another register, which had opened up literally about ten seconds later.

Why do some people just start off confrontational and rude?

I was just happily and quietly scanning my goodies, when I hear snapping and a loud “Hey!” I turn around and find the same woman glaring at me.

I blink at her bewildered, before she says “Hey, I need help over here. I scanned this twice, I need you to take it off.”

I looked over and saw that my coworker, who was actually over the self check, was helping someone else.

Somehow I don’t think she will be happy with this.

I look back at Karen and smile and politely say “Oh, sorry. I’m on lunch break right now, so I can’t help you. But coworker should be free to help in just a second.”

Karen did not like that. She glared at me, before asking. “Why can’t you help me? Your right here?”

I blinked at her and explained that I wasn’t clocked in, because I was on my lunch break.

I could get in trouble for helping her, and I couldn’t really even if I wanted to, because my ID wouldn’t work in the system while I was clocked out.

This woman should be kicked out of the store and banned.

Karen stomps her foot and insists “That’s stupid! You work here! If you’re in the building, you’re working. You have to come help me.”

At this point my coworker was done, and had walked over to help, but Karen wasn’t having it. “No! I asked them to help, they should do their job! They’re just being lazy!”

I just started ignoring the lady and went back to checking out while my coworker tried to explain to her that I wasn’t on the clock and couldn’t help.

But she’s not having it.

This adult woman throws the stuff she was buying on the ground, leaving her cart and everything there, and marches over to the customer service desk when my manager was standing.

It is nice to see the manager supported her.

Karen then brings my manager over to the self check and loudly exclaims “Your employee was refusing to help me and being extremely rude!”

At this point I’d finish checking out and was standing by the self check exit.

My manager just looks at me and says “Goblin, are you on the clock?”

I tell her nope, and that I’m just trying to get my lunch and go home.

So, the third person sternly explains to this woman that I’m not on the clock and I’m not allowed to or able to help her.

Instead of going back and getting help from my coworker, she storms out screaming about she’s never going to shop there again.

Lol okay cool lady. I won’t miss you.

Wow, now she is sending her husband in?

It didn’t even stop there.

As I was talking to my manager and a few coworkers and explaining what happened, Karen’s husband comes in.

He goes to Karen’s register, finishes checking out and pays, then comes over to us.

He then tells me that his wife is in the car sobbing and in severe emotional distress because of how I treated her and embarrassed her, and that “I hope you’re real proud of yourself.”

I just grinned at him and gave him a thumbs up.

Now that is a good manager.

As he’s walking out, my managed tells me I should feel free to take an extra thirty if I wanted. I then happily skipped home, to enjoy my jerky in peace.

Believe it or not Karen, retail workers do in fact have basic human needs and rights.

This Karen is rude and aggressive, then has the nerve to act like she was the victim.

Why are some people like this?

Let’s see what the people in the comments have to say about this story.

Exactly, she was out of line.

They always come back.

If she wants to pay, I’ll help.

That was the perfect way to end it.

Do customers like this think making a scene will get their way?

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.